<h3><SPAN name="chap203"></SPAN>Legend 2 The Twelve Apostles</h3>
<p>Three hundred years before the birth of the Lord Christ, there lived a mother
who had twelve sons, but was so poor and needy that she no longer knew how she
was to keep them alive at all. She prayed to God daily that he would grant that
all her sons might be on the earth with the Redeemer who was promised. When her
necessity became still greater she sent one of them after the other out into
the world to seek bread for her. The eldest was called Peter, and he went out
and had already walked a long way, a whole day’s journey, when he came
into a great forest. He sought for a way out, but could find none, and went
farther and farther astray, and at the same time felt such great hunger that he
could scarcely stand. At length he became so weak that he was forced to lie
down, and he believed death to be at hand. Suddenly there stood beside him a
small boy who shone with brightness, and was as beautiful and kind as an angel.
The child smote his little hands together, until Peter was forced to look up
and saw him. Then the child said, “Why art thou sitting there in such
trouble?” “Alas!” answered Peter, “I am going about the
world seeking bread, that I may yet see the dear Saviour who is promised, that
is my greatest desire.” The child said, “Come with me, and thy wish
shall be fulfilled.” He took poor Peter by the hand, and led him between
some cliffs to a great cavern. When they entered it, everything was shining
with gold, silver, and crystal, and in the midst of it twelve cradles were
standing side by side. Then said the little angel, “Lie down in the
first, and sleep a while, I will rock thee.” Peter did so, and the angel
sang to him and rocked him until he was al seep. And when he was asleep, the
second brother came also, guided thither by his guardian angel, and he was
rocked to sleep like the first, and thus came the others, one after the other,
until all twelve lay there sleeping in the golden cradles. They slept, however,
three hundred years, until the night when the Saviour of the world was born.
Then they awoke, and were with him on earth, and were called the twelve
apostles.</p>
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